Accident Details
On July 19, 2024, at approximately 1430 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Kitfox Model IV, registration N788KF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmyra, Pennsylvania. The pilot received minor injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Report
The pilot was conducting a takeoff from runway 31, a 40-foot-wide asphalt runway. According to the pilot, just as the tailwheel lifted off the ground, the airplane turned hard left and departed the side of the runway. The aircraft then bounced hard, which caused the right main landing gear to fracture. The airplane came to rest upright in a corn field. The pilot stated that a right crosswind existed at the time of departure, and the passenger had commented that the right wing lifted as soon as the tailwheel came off the ground.
Wreckage Examination
An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and left wing. Flight control continuity was established to all flight controls. The right main landing gear was fractured off the strut, and the brake line was severed. The left main landing gear remained intact. Both wheels spun freely, and the brakes were not seized. The inspector reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions.